Guilted into action.

It seems that whenever I turn on the news, pick up the paper or check the internet there is someone who has acheived some fantastical feat through immense adversity and every time there is a moment of awe which is immediately followed by shame, because what did I do today? I made a cup of tea without spilling anything and felt damn proud of it, until that moment when a seven year old triple amputee with a dodgy heart raised 6million pounds for blind orhpans by trekking across China with a fifty kilogram backpack. In that moment my pride is shattered.

Are there others out there who feel equally disgraced with themselves at not having perfomed an awe-inspiring stunt whilst overcoming intense trials on a monthly basis?

I recently completed a Race For Life and I was hugely happy with myself, the fact I had walked 5km without large amounts of morphine was a huge achievement to me until I noticed the small girl behind me. Now when I say small I really mean a child of fairy like proportions, she was possibly about six years old and was pushing her equally small friend in a rickety wheelchair over the sodden ground with a beaming grin on her face, later on I learnt that they were on there second lap ( I completed one lap) and I then felt guilty at my pride.

But then perhaps this guilt is what can make us work harder, try harder and ultimately do more. Because, after all, if  they can do 'X' while combatting 'Y' and still manage to raise 'Z' then surely we can all at least put an extra quid in the charity bucket outside Tesco, drag ourselves along that family fun day at the local school, or perhaps even mount an expetiton the north pole with only a box of matches and some cheese.

Me? Oh, I think I can force myself to purchase that brownie from the bake sale...It is for charity after all.